After a period of decline, Inter Miami entered the game with determination and quickly controlled the game. The home team had the opening goal in the 20th minute when Telasco Segovia passed the ball for Casemiro to jump high and head dangerously in the penalty area.
Montreal unexpectedly brought the match back to the starting line in the 37th minute. Fabian Herbers launched a right-footed shot from outside the penalty area, sending the ball into the low corner, making it impossible for the Inter Miami goalkeeper to stop it.
However, Messi quickly made a difference. In the 40th minute, the Argentine superstar took a free kick with his left foot from the right wing. The ball went straight into the top corner of the goal, helping Inter Miami enter the break with a 2-1 advantage.
After the break, Messi continued to shine. In the 52nd minute, the Argentine striker had a solo run past a series of Montreal players before finishing with his right foot into the low corner, increasing the score to 3-1. Luis Suarez was the one who assisted Messi in this situation.
Inter Miami played more and more overwhelmingly and in the 80th minute, Suarez scored after Messi's one-touch pass. Three minutes later, Messi completed a hat-trick with a cold-blooded finish from midfield after a pass from Rodrigo De Paul.
In the 89th minute, Alexander Shaw increased the score to 6-1 with a decisive shot from outside the penalty area. In injury time, Messi once again scored from a free kick, thereby completing a poker and sealing a 7-1 victory for Inter Miami.
This victory helps Inter Miami end a 5-match winless streak. Messi's team currently has 42 points, ranked 2nd in the Eastern Conference standings, 10 points behind the leading team Nashville.
In the next round, Inter Miami continues to play at home and face Atlanta United.
